


Stop Me

by Ladyluckk



Category: Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-01
Updated: 2020-07-01
Packaged: 2021-03-05 03:20:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,039
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25017661
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ladyluckk/pseuds/Ladyluckk
Summary: Shepard's plan is not worth the risk and Garrus' plan is to stop hers.
Relationships: Female Shepard/Garrus Vakarian
Kudos: 24





	Stop Me

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Mass Effect.  
> A/N: Originally written for the prompt "Are you going to stop me?" on Tumblr.

“Are you going to stop me?”

“Do you really have to ask?” Garrus asks as he leans himself up against the doorway in Shepard's room. He acts nonchalant, his arms crossed casually as he watches her; but Shepard knows that he’s concerned. But she can’t think about that right now; people need her.

“I don’t have time for this, Garrus,” Shepard whispers more to herself than him as she continues to collect her stuff from her desk, trying to ignore the growing knot in her stomach.

“If getting the job done means endangering innocent people then, no. We get the job done right, not fast,” Garrus says; it makes Shepard freeze as she recognizes his words. “That’s what you said to me the first time we met,” he reminds her before pushing himself away from the door to walk over towards her.

He moves besides her, putting a hand on her shoulder. “I can’t let you do this, Shepard.”

She moves away from his touch as she takes a step away from him, unable to allow herself to listen to him. “The longer we wait; the more innocent people are going to die!” Shepard grinds out, her eyebrows burrowing together in anger. “You know just as well as I that either option will result in heavy casualties--”

“But you don’t have to be one among them,” he argues back, but it’s much softer than her tone.

It makes her pause as her heart squeezes tightly. “Garrus...”

He puts his hand up to stop her from saying anything else as he shakes his head at her. “Look, I want to kick the Reapers back into whatever black hole they crawled out of just as much as you do,” he starts. “And I knew the risks when joining the team again, but this…” he trails off, looking away as he sighs heavily as if he is unable to fathom what would happen. “This is suicide,” he finishes as he turns his head back towards her.

Her eyes soften as she looks into his, but she remains quiet; unsure of what to say.

He moves to stand in front of her this time, but he doesn’t reach out in fear she’d move away again. “The world needs you more than ever right now,” he tells her as he frowns. “I need you... So, you have to stop this compulsive need to put yourself in harm's way any chance you get. ”

“I put myself in danger everyday; you know that,” Shepard counters, but there’s no heat behind her words.

“Not like this,” he shakes his head before sighing slightly. “Talk to me, Shepard,” he pleads. “What’s really going on?”

Shepard sighs, running a hand over her face before she moves to sit down on the edge of her desk. She takes a moment to herself, closing her eyes before she confesses her nightmares to him. “Every time I close my eyes; I see him. That little boy from Earth,” she starts, her eyes are glossed over when she opens them. “And I think, how am I supposed to defeat the Reapers if I couldn't even save one goddamn kid.” She shakes her head in defeat. “I can’t get him out of my head!”

Garrus tilts his head curiously at her. “So, you think this suicidal mission is the way to fix that?”

“I have to do something!” Shepard yells suddenly; a little taken aback by her own ferocity. She grunts in frustration at herself as she shakes her head, looking away. “I feel like we’re all just standing around watching as the Reapers wipe everything out,” she explains with a shrug of her shoulders. “I can’t sit here and wait for the next attack; not if I can help it.”

Garrus nods his head in understanding before he moves to take a seat besides her. Once he’s seated besides her, she turns her head to look at him. “Sometimes waiting is our best option,” he says.

“I can’t say I know exactly how you feel, but it’s not easy for me either,” he confesses, looking down. “I hate being on standby, waiting for our allies, but the best chance we have at kicking the reapers ass is by large force. And a large force we will have thanks to you,” Garrus says looking back up as he nudges her shoulder with his. “We wouldn’t be here without you, Shepard. And that’s why I need you to listen to me.”

Shepard looks away from him in shame. “I worry that it’s not enough.”

“Maybe it won’t be.”

Her head snaps back towards him as she raises her eyebrow in confusion. “Is that supposed to comfort me?”

“No-- that's not what I--” Garrus cuts himself off as he chuckles softly while shaking his head before becoming serious again. “What I’m trying to say is that every fight we've ever seen could've been our last,” he explains. “But we’ve made it this far. And no matter how things turn out, I know for a fact that we won’t go down without a fight. We’re going to give the Reapers hell.” Garrus reaches over, taking her hand in his. “And we’re going to do it, together.”

Shepard looks at him in awe. His confidence in them as a team makes her worries from earlier begin to slip away as she knows deep down that he’s right.

“Is that a promise?” Shepard finally says. Teasing him in hopes of lightening the mood.

“More like a threat,” Garrus jokes back, cracking a smile.

Shepard laughs softly, shaking her head at him. “What would I do without you?” She sighs as she tilts her head at him.

“Let’s hope you never have to find out,” he chuckles before he leans inwards.

She leans in as well, allowing herself to be comforted by his gentle kiss and hand in hers.

A soft smile pulls at Shepard's lips as she pulls back to look at him. She lets her troubles from earlier melt away as his words and touch soothe her. Just a few moments together and somehow she knows that everything will be okay as long as they are in this together; and she isn’t going anywhere without him, not anymore.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for stopping by & reading! Kudos/Comments are both appreciated & welcomed!


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